


Blue Sundress

by flippantninny



Category: Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-19
Updated: 2014-08-19
Packaged: 2018-02-13 21:35:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2166006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flippantninny/pseuds/flippantninny
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on the one word prompt 'Blue Sundress'</p>
            </blockquote>





	Blue Sundress

"This is such a waste of resources," Maggie said, "I can’t believe you convinced everyone to do this."

Beth laughed at her sister. Sure, Maggie and Glenn were married, but it hadn’t taken a lot to convince the rest of camp they deserved a wedding. It was just going to be a simple affair. They had managed to round up some booze, and some food, a plethora of beans and rice with canned peaches for dessert, and someone had managed to find a battery run CD player. Maybe it was silly, and maybe they should be focusing on surviving and saving their rations, but Beth couldn’t remember the last time they had done something just to have fun. And she figured the rest of the camp agreed with her, because as soon as she mentioned the word wedding, everyone was on board. Everyone but Maggie, that was. Maggie and Daryl.

Maggie’s concerns stemmed from guilt that resources were being wasted because of her. Daryl’s concerns were just that resources were being wasted. Beth had tried to convince him that it was worth it, that people’s good moods were worth more than a few cans of peaches, but he had still been in a bad mood ever since the group had decided the wedding would be happening. Which is why it was a surprise to Beth when he pulled over to his bike the day before the wedding.

"Old, new, borrowed and blue, right?" he had asked, not bothering to give any context to the conversation.

"What are you talking about" Beth had replied.

"Old, new, borrowed and blue, people are meant to have shit that’s old and new and all that on their wedding day?"

Beth nodded at him, her expression still confused.

"Found this on a run the other day," he said, pulling something out of the saddle bag on his bike. It was a blue sundress. "Figure it’s old, nothing’s new these days, but it ain’t ever been worn, found it in a store, so it’s kind of new too. I didn’t buy it, so it’s borrowed, even if no one’s ever getting it back. And I know she’s meant to wear white or whatever, but she ain’t exactly pure so I figured blue would do."

Beth looked up at him, an amused expression on her face, “Daryl Dixon’s a romantic, who knew.”

His face reddened slightly as he passed the dress to her, “just saw it and thought she might like it,” he said, “you can give it to her.”

And now it was the day of the wedding and Beth was brushing a comb through her sister’s hair. The dress wasn’t a perfect fit, but Maggie had appreciated it nonetheless, and had been more amused and surprised than Beth had been when she learned who found it.

"You mean to say Daryl Dixon went dress shopping while on a run?" Maggie had said, before bursting into a fit of laughter. When she finally managed to calm down she said "when is that man going to stop playing around getting dresses and just tell you he likes you."

"What are you talking about?" Beth asked. The dress was for Maggie, not Beth.

"Oh come on, Beth, everything he does is to impress you. You think he would have got the dress if I wasn’t your sister or you hadn’t been so excited for the wedding?"

Beth frowned. Sure, she liked Daryl, they were friends, but him getting the dress was just him being nice, she had nothing to do with it.

"Honestly, Beth, the guy can’t take his eyes off you when you’re in the room, I’m pretty sure you’re the only one who’s still oblivious."

Beth felt her face flush. There was a time when she had considered going in that direction with Daryl, a particular night in a mortuary stuck in her mind. But then she had been kidnapped and when she was reunited with the group it just never seemed like the right time to think about it. “Today’s about you, not me, c’mon everyone’s waiting.” Beth said, running the comb through Maggie’s hair one last time.

The ceremony had been flawless. Daryl stood alone by Glenn, somehow roped into being best man, while Maggie had a line of women on her side, having claimed “they’re all my sisters so they’re all my bridesmaids.”

Rick was a perfect unordained minister, and Maggie and Glenn didn’t bother trading rings, but it couldn’t have gone better.

And now the sun was setting, the liquor was flowing, the music was playing, and everyone was smiling. Beth looked across the camp at Daryl, and even he, who was staying sober on account of being voluntarily responsible for keeping away the walkers, was smiling.

Beth felt bold and she knew it was just the alcohol talking effect, she’d only had a few drinks but she didn’t exactly have a tolerance, but she felt herself walking over to him. Maggie’s comments had left lingering thoughts in her mind, and now she couldn’t shake the the older redneck from the forefront of her mind.

"We should dance," she said.

"You’re drunk," he replied. She expected his expression to be sour, but when she met his eyes he looked more amused than annoyed.

"Uh huh," she replied, "and I want to dance with you."

"I don’t dance," he said, “‘sides, some of us have a job to do."

"I don’t see any walkers," she said, as she jumped around him. Apparently she was going to dance even if he wasn’t going to dance with her, "come on, you can give me one dance. If any walkers interrupt us I’ll forgive you for stopping dancing."

She grabbed his hands and continued dancing to the upbeat song, forcing his arms to dance even if his body didn’t move.

"No I can’t," he said, "I can’t dance and I wouldn’t if I could."

"Anyone can dance," Beth said as the song changed to something slower. A love song. "oh my god I love this song," Beth shrieked, "okay you have to dance with me to this one, it’s easy," she placed his hands on her waist and wrapped hers around his neck, "now you just gotta sway," she said.

At first Daryl didn’t move. They just stood there in an awkward silence, his hands on her waist but their bodies a careful distance apart. They looked more like awkward kids at a high school dance, holding each other for the first time and waiting for a chaperon to appear and tell them they need to be at least a foot apart. Then he sighed, pulling her closer to him, wrapping his arms around her so their bodies touched. And gently they began to move to the music. She fit perfectly in his arms despite the size difference. His hands felt right on her back. She sighed into him, her head fitting under his chin like a puzzle piece.

Three songs later and they were still like that, Beth’s head resting on his chest, Daryl’s chin brushing the top of her head. Neither of them willing to break apart from each other. Daryl couldn’t remember the last time he’s been this close with a woman, and yet nothing about this was sexual. This was romantic, and Daryl had never been this close with a woman this way before.

From the other side of the camp Glenn and Maggie stood by the cd player. Maggie rested her head on Glenn’s shoulder, and threading her fingers through his. It might have been her wedding day, but for Maggie that day had been all about Beth and Daryl. “See,” she said, looking up at Glenn who was staring at the unlikely couple too, “all they needed was the right song.”


End file.
